Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine are enrolling volunteers in an investigational COVID-19 booster vaccine trial.
This study is recruiting COVID-19-vaccinated and boosted persons interested in receiving additional investigational vaccination against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
The Gritstone second-generation vaccines are different from the currently available COVID-19 vaccines. They are designed to generate immune responses to multiple SARS-CoV-2 proteins, in addition to the spike protein targeted by vaccines now in use that are made by Moderna, Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson.
By targeting several coronavirus proteins, the investigational vaccines may provide enhanced protection against a wide variety of SARS-CoV-2 strains and variants. The vaccine candidates were developed by Gritstone bio, a biotechnology company headquartered in Emeryville, California.
"As the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to change, we need to consider modifying our vaccines to cover both emerging and future variants," said Dr. Anna Wald, professor of medicine, epidemiology, and laboratory medicine and pathology, director of the Virology Research Clinic in Seattle and the site principal investigator of the trial.
"We are looking for all interested healthy persons and we encourage persons older than 60 years old to apply," said Dr. Tia Babu, acting assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Allergy and Infectious Disease at the UW School of Medicine and one of the trial investigators.
To enroll, participants must be age 18 or older and have been vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 at least four months prior to enrollment.
Participants will be asked to:
- Make 7 to 14 or more study clinic visits in-person and also receive one to two telephone check-ins with the study staff over the study period.
- Receive one or two injections of an investigational booster vaccine.
- Have blood drawn several times to see whether the vaccine resulted in an immune response.
- Keep track of how they're feeling after the injection.
Interested people should visit: www.uwvteu.org
